Trepidus
by oseveo
Summary: Broken beyond repair, the remaining group members struggle to survive under harsh conditions as the looming threat of chaos builds around them. Love is both lost and found, and the fight for peace is lost in the sea of emotion. (This Story is a Redo of Broken Rainbows)
1. Remembrance

**Hey everyone! Originally I had another account and I worked on this story. I ended up hating the "choose your own story" feeling the fanfic had so I wanted to delete it. But I winded up getting a new account anyway so like yeah...**

 **BUT im BACK and im fixing it up in a new format. So ENJOOOOYYYY**

 **Chapter One:**

Ken, honey get up.

Kenny don't keep the boys waiting…..

Ken, what's wrong?

Ken, keep your eyes on the road, there will be time for fishing later…

Ken please you can't do this right now.

Ken….

What you're saying…is foolish.

I love you Kenneth…..

BANG!

Kenny's eyes flew open and he sprang up from the bed, yelling and screaming as he did most nights. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. It had been nearly a week since his wife, Katjaa passed away. Every night he would have the same dream and wake up to the same room. The exact same horrifying dream….. The dream was simple, his life. From the moment he laid eyes on his beautiful wife, to the second she died. He watched her every night… every night he watched his wife, eyes glazed over with tears. He watches her raise the gun to her head, he watched himself…. what a coward he was. He knew he could've done something, anything to stop her from pulling the trigger. Every night he watched the light leave her eyes and wondered, just wondered if he could've done anything to save her.

"Damn it!" He thought aloud.

"I do this every night!"

He looked around the room. He wasn't alone, yet he felt as if the others were listening to his thoughts. As I they knew his dreams and what he had been seeing and what he had been feeling. He saw his best I know who it is that up not you are panty drawer guess you're going to miss my grandmas joy friend, Lee Everett lying next to his little girl Clementine. She wasn't really his, I mean they had been together for almost a year now and have been through more shit in the last month then Kenny had been in his entire life, but she's not his. Her parents left for to go on a trip in Savannah a few days before all…this happened. Luckily, his group had found their way to Savannah by chance after fleeing from their home. After a few days on the road, the group cracked. They lost their leader and met 3 new people. He lost his wife and their only kid Duck. Found a train….lost the train. They lost more than half the group in the last 3 month. He lost everything….

"Stop it Kenneth..." he mumbled to himself as he rubbed his eyes and attempted to stretch out the kinks in his back. It didn't work.

His mind constantly lingered back to the fact that he was in this world alone. He knew he wasn't really alone…but his mind told himself looked to the right of Lee and Clem (as the group called her now) and saw that couple…uh what was their names? Christa and Omid. He really hadn't gotten to know them that well since the accident yesterday but then again, he saved their lives and Christa saved his once or twice. Omid gave a rather loud snore and Christa shot up staring straight at her sleeping boyfriend.

Kenny jumped straight up, hitting his head on the attic ceiling. He let out a yelp and Christa did the same. Christa now looked at Kenny, her brown eyes full of fear. She jumped up, hitting her head too. Kenny took a step back, scared by Christa's sudden jolt of energy. She stood there staring at him. Kenny didn't want to say anything…. He didn't know what was going on. He took a step forward and Christa's body slowly relaxed and she sat back on the floor next to her snoring boyfriend.

"Oh god….. Kenny I thought you were a fucking walker. Why are you up so early?" Kenny gave a weak smile but remained standing. He couldn't calm down as easy as her.

"I couldn't…. couldn't sleep." He said quietly, trying not to wake anybody else up and make more conversation.

The last thing he needed was everybody worrying about him and prying into his business. He didn't want to talk right now… Christa noticed his silence and let out a small huff. Then, her face drooped and she gave a sympathetic smile.

"Look, I'm sorry ok. I know you're dealing with some hard times….. I just, I just want to thank you. For everything. I know you just met us but thank you."

She looked at him for a minute. Kenny watched her eyes peer into his. It was almost like she as looking for something…like she wanted him to open up to her and tell her his troubles.

"Thanks-" he said turning away from her troubling gaze. "Now get some sleep."

He stared at the wall, hearing the sound of Christa adjusting herself back under the covers and soon falling back into a deep sleep. Kenny sat back on his bed (floor) and removed his hat. His hair flung down nearly covering his entire head. He knew he was due for a haircut, but he wasn't exactly going to walk down to the local barber. He looked at his hat. It was yellow orange with a long white stripe in the middle. Splotches of dirt and blood were scattered all over creating an almost brown color over the entire hat.

Damn. He thought.

When was the last time I took this off?

Then he remembered. He remembered the look in his wife's eyes the day they met. He remembered the day the married…the day his son, Duck was born. The day this all happened. The day people started coming back from the dead, and killing the living. They day they killed his son, they day his wife…

He was interrupted by a loud noise coming from downstairs and he stood up. He jumped up again, swearing to himself as his head knocked up against the ceiling again. He looked around the attic room but saw only the four sleeping figures. The house went quiet. He felt a small breeze and looked at the attic door. His mouth dropped open as a feel of discomfort washed over him. The door to the attic was open…..how did he not see that? The walkers still couldn't get in but he didn't like feeling vulnerable. He walked over to the door and looked down into the hallway.

Nothing…..?

The noise happened again, this time a small grunt was heard followed by a loud crash. Kenny took a jittery step back and tripped over an empty water bottle. He hit the ground and scrambled to get back up. Once on his feet, Kenny looked to the others who were passed out in their respected areas. He half expected Christa to pop up again and try to help out in "any way she can".

Another groan and the sound of footsteps. Kenny put his stained hat back on his head. He took a step towards the attic hole, looking down into the hallway. It was dark…. He could barely see anything except a small end table with a lavender flower vase in it. The flowers had wilted but it was still a beautiful view. Suddenly, the sound of a door opening, this time much quieter than the groan and footsteps echoed down the hall.

Another walker must have got in through that dang back door again. Damn it Lee! I told him to block that yesterday. Probably too busy running around with his head in his ass.

Another noise, this one louder than before. He looked around for his gun, or his rifle or something. It wasn't in the immediate area and he wasn't going to go searching around with everyone in the room. That would just cause a panic. Having no other options he checked for anyone else's. Luckily Christa wasn't so happy with the whole sleep with a gun idea, so Kenny took it upon himself to grab it from the nearby shelf under the sleeping couple. He checked for ammo, a feeling of relief washed over him as he saw there were two bullets left in the pistol.

Not much…. He thought to himself.

If it gets too bad I could just run back up and shut the attic door…and we can deal with it or them in the morning.

The gun felt uncomfortable in his hands, but he tightened his grip and made his way to the already opened attic entrance. A cold breeze washed over him and he looked back to the sleeping group. He could just wake someone up…. or he could just do it himself and get it over with.

"Who the fuck am I kidding?" Kenny said stepping back from the attic door. He put the gun is his back pocket and walked over to Lee, who was quietly snoring next to Clementine. Kenny pondered for a second. I'm sure as hell not waking Christa up and I wouldn't trust her boyfriend with a stick. Having no other options he quietly nudged on the man's shoulders. Lee shook for a second then opened his eyes. He sat up and looked at Kenny with a confused face.

"Kenny?" He asked rubbing his eyes. "It's the middle of the night. What are you doing with Christa's gun?"

Lee looked over at the pistol sticking out of his pocket. Kenny pushed it deeper and grabbed Lee's arm. Lee stared at Kenny with a blank face and was about to testify when the noise happened again, this time even louder than before. Lee jumped and looked at Kenny.

"What the fuck was that, man?" He said reaching for his own gun. Kenny shook his head and spoke in a whisper.

"I don't know man but you're coming down there with me because I'm sure as hell am not going down there alone."

Lee huffed and reloaded his own pistol, Kenny doing the same. Kenny suggested waking the others up to, then maybe they'd talk to Lee and not him. Lee shook his head and looked at Clementine.

"We can't wake the others up dude," said Lee looking back at Kenny.

"What would happen if that thing down there turned out to be things? I'm not risking that chance and plus we can do it much quicker and quieter on our own." Kenny shook his head in agreeance and led Lee to the attic door.

He gestured for Lee to go first and Lee gave a quiet chuckle. He began to walk down slowly, and Kenny was about to do the same when-

"Lee?" A tiny voice said startling Kenny.

He looked around the attic and saw Clementine sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She noticed Kenny and gave that same cheery smile she always gave. Kenny smiled back, he loved that kid. She stood up and walked over to him. She had on that same Red hoodie that had the word Brooklyn on it and a cute little skirt. Her hat was off and was probably laying somewhere by her bed. She looked at Kenny confused and looked behind him.

"Where's Lee?" She said her face growing more and more confused by the second. Kenny took a step forward and placed his hands on her shoulder.

"Honey, he and I are going to go check out downstairs and make sure everything's safe. Go back to bed and promise me you won't go down here." Clementine shook her head and smiled.

"I promise."

She ran back to her pallet and sat on her pillow. Kenny chuckled and turned around to leave. Now he hoped Lee would make it back in one piece… what was he walking about? The guy had done it all, jumped off a train, killed multiple walkers and people and he still woke up every day with a dumbass smile on his face. Kenny suddenly wished, for his sake… that he came back in one piece….

The hallway was cold and dark. There were no windows except one behind him and that barely made a difference. Kenny took out the gun and raised it towards the darkness. He called out quietly.

"Lee?"

…

No response.

Damn it! He thought. Lee always ran off on his own personal mission. The man could barely sit still. Kenny took a step forward, hearing the creaking of the old wood at his feet. The hallway seemed endless, stretching out for miles until finally he saw a door on the left. Kenny abruptly stopped and slid over to the doorway. He raised the pistol into the darkness and called out again.

"Lee?"

This time there was no response, but he did hear a footstep somewhere in the room. He took a shaky step forward, his gun practically shaking in his hands. He reached for the wall, feeling the satisfying feel of the light switch and flicked it on.

"Holy shit!" He yelled falling on the ground as instantly a zombie lunged for him. Its teeth were snapping at him and he managed to push it off of him and into the room. He scrambled for his gun and aimed at the zombie who was about to lunge again. He fired a shot, landing it right in between the walkers' eyes. It crashed into the ground pulling the tablecloth down with it.

Suddenly he felt a hand grab him and he turned around and aimed the gun at the figures head. The figure ducked.

"Whoa! Kenny, stop!" The figure said looking at him. Kenny lowered his gun and took a big breath. Lee stood up and looked in the doorway.

"Jesus, damn Kenny I didn't even think to check in there."

"Oh well you didn't really think to look anywhere huh? Where the fuck did you go?" Lees faced dropped and he looked behind him. Kenny put the gun back in his pocket.

"Look man, I know we don't need any more stress but…Ben."

Kenny's eyes widened.

He forgot about Ben!

Ben was the last member of their group. A skinny, lonely high school student who was silent most of the time and seemed desperate to stay in the group, seeing as when he was accused of blowing the groups only chance at safety, he began begging and screaming until one of their own was shot by that bitch Lilly.

"Holy fuck." Kenny said looking at Lee worriedly. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know? Maybe look for him or something."

Kenny stepped past Lee and motioned for him to follow. Lee walked over the zombie and dragged it out too. Kenny looked back and stopped.

"What are you doing?" Lee dropped the walker and stretched his back out.

"I don't want anybody waking up and seeing that. The last thing we need is more people getting lost out here."

Kenny walked over to Lee and the corpse and helped carry it to the stairs.

"Hold on." Lee said pulling out his gun. He stepped past Kenny and went slowly down the stairs. Kenny called out to him but Lee was lost in the darkness before he could respond. Kenny cursed under his breath and left the corpse. He reloaded the gun again, and cursed again seeing there was only a single bullet left.

When he got to the end of the stairs he called out to Lee and got no response. He moved to the front window and looked out one of the holes. The street was quiet, not a single walker out there except for a few that he had shot when they first arrived here. Kenny looked back into the dark room and listened for any noises.

None.

Suddenly Lee yelled and a series of gunshots rang out in the house. Kenny ran towards the sound, tripping over a footstool in the process. He hit the ground and the gun flew out of his hands and into the darkness. He got back up, hissing in pain as his knee split open and blood poured out. He heard a groan and turned around to see two walkers coming toward him.

"Shit!" He yelled turning around.

He limped over to the couch and bent down. He couldn't see anything and he was searching desperately for the gun. One of the walkers jumped on him and knocked him back on the floor. He yelled as their knees collided, causing the wound to open even more. With his other leg her kicked the walker off and began crawling away. The other zombie was nowhere to be seen but he could hear multiple moans coming from the kitchen. He yelled out to Lee and got no response.

The walker lunged again, this time missing and knocking over the chair behind Kenny. He kicked the zombie in the head until the zombie stopped growling and became still. Kenny heard another scream, but it wasn't Lees. It came from the backyard and it sounded younger than him. Kenny wanted to just get Lee… if he was still alive. But what if that was Lee outside? He thought of getting the others but it could be too risky. Kenny was so confused and the bleeding didn't help.

He had to think fast…..

Kenny couldn't handle it. Lee was lost, someone was yelling outside and he was….he was. With a crash, Kenny landed on the ground. His vision went blurry, his head was pounding and he just wanted to go to sleep. Suddenly the screaming stopped and for a moment Kenny felt calm. A calmness that was not only new to him but it felt wonderful. And even though he never wanted to leave the calmness that fell over him, the calmness was short lived for a walker burst through the front window. Its body crawled through the loose boards and advanced on Kenny. It took him a second to realize this and the zombie caught him before he could react. It began crawling towards him and snapping its jaws mercilessly. Kenny tried to get up but his leg just wouldn't allow it. He was left with crawling across the room in fear, trying not to cause any more commotion than there already was.

If he could just get to the door.

The zombie fell on Kenny, teeth chomping and a small trickle of blood landed on his head. He let out a loud scream and with all his might, pushed on the corpse's body. Sadly, his kick was nearly useless as it only knocked the zombie onto Kenny's flailing legs. He kicked and kicked and soon the zombie would sink its rotten teeth into him and it would be over. Maybe then I could be with Katjaa…

BANG!

Suddenly the zombie went limp and Kenny was able to move it off for good. He laid there motionless, staring at the ceiling and wishing he was dead. All this terror made him realize he was alone. He was…alone. Maybe he could just you know, do it and then he wouldn't have to feel anymore. He wouldn't have to give his weeks' worth of food to someone and then hear them cry out in pain that there hungry a day later. He's tired of waking up without her there. An empty bed every single night.

"Kenny?! Say something!" Said what sounded like Christa.

It was.

He looked up, dazed and nearly passed out. Christa was on the stairs with his pistol and she looked horrified. She ran over to him and lifted his head. He tried to smile but he was too tired. She looked up at something and beckoned it over. He tried to look up but hissed in pain, what was that? Suddenly he saw Omid leaning over Christa watching him. His eyes were wide open and he just stared. Christa was the first to speak.

"Where's Lee?" She said looking around the room, and then back too Kenny. He tried to speak but it hurt too much to move anything at this point. He tilted his head towards the kitchen door and Omid walked over to it. With his foot he kicked the door open and jumped back. Nothing came out so he peeked his head in.

"Well?" Christa impatiently barked, nearly dropping Kenny in the process. She laid him down on the carpet and walked over to Omid and the door. She peeked her head and screamed. Kenny tried to say something…..anything to help but he was just…to….tire-

((((3 hours later))))

The first thing he saw was Omid, leaning over him and smiling. Kenny jumped up and their heads knocked together causing both of them to yell out in pain. Kenny rested his head back on what seemed to be a pillow. Omid looked up and motioned for Christa who was sitting on the top step of the attic.

"Christa!" He yelled catching her attention. She stood up and walked over to the two. She had a worried look on her face and that worried Kenny too. She knelt over him and signaled for Omid to swap places. She examined Kenny face, feeling his head and checking for any unfamiliar pulse… he thought. She paused and looked in his eyes then immediately stood up and walked over to where she had set his gun down.

"Well, the good news is, you're not bitten. Thank god."

Kenny began to speak, he felt a sharp pain in his throat and hissed. Both Omid and Christa looked at him but Christa got there first.

"Water, Omid get water."

"It's downstairs hon."

"Damnit! You're telling me there's NONE up here? Check Lee's stash must've kept some in case Clem got thirsty or something."

Omid ran over to Lee's bed and began rummaging around. Christa stroked Kenny's cheek and glanced over to the attic door. Omid jumped up and handed to Christa the water and resumed his position as watchman. Christa practically ripped off the cap, splashing water all of Kenny.

"Sorry." She said, putting the bottle to his lips. The water was warm, it tasted metallic. His throat crackled and was soon feeling better than it originally had. Once he had drunk all of it Christa simply dropped the bottle on the floor and attempted to help Kenny up. She put her arm around him and pushed him to his feet. His knee burned but he managed to stand up straight. He looked at his bandaged leg and shook his head.

This is EXACTLY what he needs right now…

"How long have I been out?"

Christa helped him over to a small box in the corner in which he sat down and huffed. He looked to Christa and Omid and suddenly realized their situation.

"Where's Lee? Ben? Clementine?"

Christa gave a sigh and walked away from him. Omid just stared down the stairs silently. Kenny stood up and tried to take a step. He crashed into the ground again and this time hit his head on the wood floor. Christa turned around and helped him up again, setting him back down on the box.

"We thought you knew….. We woke up and heard you screaming we thought you had her but I guess not. We heard Lee scream and went to the kitchen after we found you. There was a walker eating something and I thought it was Lee or Clem but it was just a rabbit. The door was wide open and there were a few walkers roaming around but when I turned back around you were passed out and we brought you back here. Ben, well you're guess is as good as mine."

Kenny sighed and closed his eyes. Damn. He thought nearly beginning to cry.

Once again Kenneth…. You fucked shit up for everyone. You fucked it up for Lee and you fucked it up for Clementine. For Christa and Omid. Hell you couldn't even keep your goddamn wife and kid alive. Katjaa was right to kill herself. She was right to-

"Kenny!" Christa yelled getting Kenny's attention.

He looked at her and frowned, he wanted to apologize... but for what? She looked at him with a straight face and spoke. He was almost surprised by how she handled the situation. He was a load of shit and Omid suddenly stopped talking and here she was trying to help and keeping cool.

"We…." He paused and thought hard on what to say next. He wanted to keep everyone safe and rushing for an answer wasn't going to save shit. He opened his mouth to speak and it held in motionless silence. Christa stared at him and he could tell she needed an answer.

"We find Clem. Regardless of Lee or Ben we NEED to find her. If Lee is dead-"

"Kenny," Christa said shaking her head slowly. That was the last thing she need to hear right now.

"No really, if he is then the first thing he would've wanted is to keep her safe."

Christa remained silent for a moment and then agreed. She looked to Omid who wa still staring into the empty hallway. She called out to him and he didn't reply.

"Omid! I need to you to listen to me." She said walking over to him. She reached for him and he stood up.

"Okay babe." He said looking at her. They both gave a weak smile and embraced. Kenny looked away and tried to stand up on his own, only to lose his balance. Omid noticed and ran to Kenny. he nodded and helped Kenny to his feet. They all exchanged glances and head down the steps.

"I heard screaming coming from outside in the back."

"When!?" Omid asked.

Christa and omid nodded in agreement and went ahead first. Kenny limped behind. He didn't have a gun and he felt vulnerable just limping behind. Sunlight was beginning to appear and Kenny had to shield his eyes from the sunlight. After getting help from Omid down the stairs, Kenny showed them the way to the back. When he opened the door the first thing he saw was a walker roaming around. It looked at the three and began advancing.

Christa shot it before it could get too far and moved the body into a small corner.

"Okay," she said wiping her hands on her pants. "We need to spread out. Stay close though, we need to keep ourselves out of danger for now."

The trio split away and checked separate sections of the yard. Kenny found his way to the shed.

Seems to be the best place to hide when zombies break out, he thought.

He leaned against the door and gave it a good push, but it didn't budge. He cursed under his breath and pushed again only to have the door remain closed. Omid appeared behind him and offered to help push. Kenny agreed and the two began pushing.

"One, two, THREE!"

The door flew open and the two landed on the ground. Kenny hissed in pain as part of the bandage ripped off and laid across the grass. Christa ran over and helped Kenny up. She looked at his leg but Kenny shooed her away insisting it was fine. She gave a skeptical look and then helped Omid up. They looked in the barn and saw nothing at first.

"Wait?" Omid said pointing into the darkness. "Clem?!"

Sure enough there she was laying in the shed, knees drawn to her chest. She was crying and when she looked up to the three her eyes were dark red and glazed over. Christa ran to her and picked her up in a hug. Clem began to cry harder. She brought Clem over and Kenny and Omid both took turns comforting her.

"What happened honey?" Omid asked stroking her cheek. Clementine pointed to the other side of the barn. Kenny and Christa looked at each other confused.

"Lee, he yelled so I went looking for him and when I found him he told me to hide in the barn while he chased some guy that was in the yard. So I hid in the barn and I heard the man talking to Lee….. there was a lot of men. They wanted to take me away and I heard Lee scream and they beat him up and took him."

"Who took him?" Christa prodded, earning nothing more but a silent shudder from the younger girl.

"Clem, honey," Omid said standing up and standing beside his girlfriend. "Where did they take him?"

Clem sniffled and looked into her lap. Kenny saw her eyes flicker lifelessly, as sullen and weak as a walker. The little girl slowly rose to her feet and pointed behind the trio. Turning around, Kenny eyed the horizon behind them. A giant church stood sheltered by numerous buildings. The bell hung still in the small wooden cage, but it's eerie creaks rung out from the crooked boards of the building and soared across the emptied town, into the ears of the living.

"They took Lee there?" Kenny scoffed. "That's halfway across the fucking town, past god knows how many walkers. With any luck, they ran into trouble and Lee is either on his way back or dead."

Clementine immediately began crying again and was comforted by a sneering Christa. Omid just stared into the nothing and closed his eyes.

Goddamnit Lee. Kenny thought to himself. As much as that asshole pissed him off, Kenny knew he owed it to everyone to do whatever it took to get Lee back. After all, the group truly was nothing without him.

"I'm tired of this game of losing someone and finding them and then losing someone else. We go now and we get Lee or die trying."

"Now hold on!" Christa said putting Clem down.

"We can't just go on some suicide mission with your leg that…. Or even with your leg perfectly fine. We have two people missing, and none of us are in any shape to even step outside the property, let alone set up some rescue mission. Think about what you're saying Kenny!"

Kenny ignored her and kept walking. Christa yelled and stomped her foot down.

"Kenny!"

"What?" He barked back at Christa. He didn't even bother to turn around, and kept his eyes locked onto the church bell.

"We aren't leaving. We are gonna go back inside, check on our food supply and regroup. We don't even know where Ben is much less-"

"Screw Ben." Kenny hissed through his teeth. He didn't mean it, but the mention of the teens name triggered a part of Kenny's brain he didn't like opening. "That little shit probably abandoned us anyway."

"He wouldnt. As scatter-brained as he is, I'm sure he needs us as much as we need each other."

"Yeah, Ben is a good guy." Omid piped in.

Kenny clenched his teeth and kicked the gate door open. "Fine. You guys go look for Ben, and i'll go help the one person whose head is still screwed on right!"

As if on cue, the back door clicked and opened, revealing a mud covered teen with a worried look on his face. Clem's eyes lit up behind the tears and the space between the group grew stagnant.

"Ben!" Christa called out, standing up and helping Clem do the same.

Kenny spun around and struggled to subdue the instinct to tear the boy's throat out. "Where the hell have you been?"

Ben's eyes widened and he locked eyes with the southerner.

"I-I was just-"

"A bunch of guys showed up and took Lee and you're nowhere to be seen? You know damn good and well you don't just take off like that."

"Kenny." Omid commanded, catching the older male's eyes. "Let him go."

"I was on the roof." Ben murmured, grabbing his arm and shrugging. " When I heard the yells I panicked and fell."

"What were you doing on the roof?" Christa asked as Clem scurried to Ben and grabbed his legs in a hug. The sight of Clem interacting with someone eased Kenny's anger just a bit.

"I was just thinking…"

iLucky for Ben, the tension was slowly dying down. Kenny took a deep breath and completely disregarded the teen. "Christa. We don't have time to sit around. We need to look for Lee. The later we stay, the better chance he won't be around if we get there."

The couple exchanged hesitant looks and nodded. Christa walked to her lover and the two led Clem and a weary Ben towards the eldest.

"I'll go with you." Christa said quickly. "Omid will stay with Ben and Clem."

"What?" Omid questioned, facing his girlfriend. Christa never broke eye contact with Kenny and her determined look was just enough to persuade the other.

"Christa, we don't even know who these guys are. What if you-"

"It'll be easier if we keep our numbers small."

Kenny rolled his eyes and scratched the back of his head, subduing an itch that had burrowed deep in his skin. Quickly, he met eyes with Ben and for a moment, Kenny's mind flashed with annoyance.

"I'm going Omid. This isn't up for discussion."

"Fine." Christa's boyfriend exhaled. "Take Ben with you."

Both Kenny and Christa raised their brow and the teen followed suit. Kenny let a low growl and eyed the teen angrily. Christa sighed, seeing as her boyfriend wouldn't rest until she had the best chances at survival, even if that did mean bringing the boy along.

"Fine." Christa piped up, breaking the uneasy silence, and caught the glare of a skeptical Kenny.

"We'll be back by nightfall. Don't come after us and don't let anyone in. Got it?"

"Got it."

Christa nodded and turned to leave when she felt a hand grasp her arm. She turned and was forced into Omid's arms.

"Be safe babe, and bring Lee back alive."

After a quick but meaningful pause, Omid released his grip and passed the pistol in his back pocket to Kenny, who rejected it.

"I've got my own." Kenny said emotionlessly. Christa seconded. The pistol found its way into Ben's shaking hands, and Omid pulled out a second, switching it to his adjacent pocket.

After a small exchange with Clem. Christa led the males out of the picket fence yard. Omid waved to them quickly and closed the wooden gate with an all but silent click.

The trio glanced at each other and moved in silence. A single walker stumbled unknowingly past them, and yet the noises of the damned filled the streets like a thick cloud of smoke. Despite the low rumbling of anger inside Kenny's head, he wiped his brow and dwelled on the picture of Clementines broken heart, should Lee not return.


	2. Jolie

Chapter Two:

The church tower seemed to sway in the trios vision. It stood out from the other brick red buildings plastered in the horizon. It loomed in front of them, beckoning them towards the unknown. Even after moving across cluttered alleyways and boarded up houses, they found the same structure standing tall in front of them. The trip was crammed full of the fear of what they would find on the other side of town. Kenny tipped his fishing cap down, blocking out the rays of sunlight that had broke through the clouds. The weather had been in the groups favor. A sprinkling of rain pattered on rooftops and busted cars, sheltering an unimaginable amount of noise. Kenny had watched multiple walkers pass the group, even in the event of conversation.

"Kenny." Christa called, coming into view from behind a flipped taxi accident.

Katjaas mother was a taxi driver….

"Kenny!" Christa hissed, re-catching the fisherman's attention. He responded with a grunt and signaled for the teen to his right to stop. Christa pointed behind the two males and the hairs on Kenny's neck stood up. He turned just in time to see a hooded figure duck behind a nearby shop window.

"Shit! Ben, get your ass over here." Kenny grabbed Ben by the collar and threw them both behind the cab. A small sound of glass cracking was heard from inside and Christa and Kenny exchanged looks.

"Is it a walker?" Ben asked, peeking through the car windows.

"Walkers don't hide from people."

"Could that have been one of those guys?" Asked Christa. She looked behind them and eyed the street they came from. They must have walked miles because the buildings were irrecognizable.

Kenny peeked a quick look but the shop window was once again empty. Ben tried to stick his head out to but Christa pulled him back down.

"What is it? I didn't see it?" Ben whispered.

"It was a person. They were watching us."

Another sound rang out. It was a door swinging shut.

"Look! On the roof!" Ben pointed. Sure enough, the hooded figure stood on the edge of the building and turned to run. In two quick jumps, the figure had already jumped the first building and spun into the nearby roof access.

"Shit! He's gettin' away!" Kenny said jumping out from behind the taxi and bolting towards the adjacent building.

"Kenny wait!" Christa called out. However, her pleas were useless and after realizing this she handed her gun to Ben and followed.

The light that shone through the open door was soon wiped out, and with it went the noise. Christa soon bounded in behind Kenny and he threw his right hand behind himself and into the exhausted woman.

"Hold that door open, we can't see without it."

Christa pushed the door open and held it with her back while signaling Ben to join them. When she had turned around, Kenny had made it down the hallway and into the only room downstairs. A small creak caught the woman's attention and she looked in time to see the figure dash across the upstairs hallway.

"Kenny! Up there!"

The figure was out of view before the southerner could even reach the stairs, but he cleared the steps in no more than three swift bounds. Turning to the right, Kenny was swallowed up in the darkness and he stuttered in his steps. The upstairs was silent except for the rains near-silent falling. He squinted in a hopeless attempt to see through the thick haze of darkness but found nothing.

"Where are you, you little pissant?" Kenny spatted into the empty hallway. Another creak sounded and Kenny pulled his gun out from his back pocket. The minute his fingers grasped hold of the grip, a sharp pain crippled his skull and him to the ground with a sickening thud.

"Kenny?" Christa called out, hearing the noise. When she got no response, she too retrieved her gun and commanded Ben to hold open the door. Taking the first step up she saw the outline of what looked to be Kenny. The sight of the older male lying unconscious frightened her and she bounded up the stairs to his side.

"Kenny!" She yelled putting her head to his chest. He's just unconscious.

Christa felt movement behind her and turned in time to see a figure towering over her with a blade raised and ready to strike.

"Wait!" She screamed, squinting to make out the figures face in the dim light. The figure held the blade still but allowed Christa to stand. The figure took a step back and Christa caught a glance of Ben worriedly manning the front door. A plan arose in her mind and she jumped backwards, yelling down the stairs.

"Ben close the door!"

The figure ran at both Christa and the unconscious Kenny but was swallowed up in complete darkness. Christa took this chance and through herself in the direction of the attacker. Thier bodies collided and a sharp pain skidded down her arm as the blade made contact. They both fell to the ground.

"Uuuunngh…"

Christa stopped wrestling the assailant and looked behind her. She could barely make out the outline of Kenny when a blow to the chin sent her downwards. Spiraling towards the ground, Christas chin knocked against her unconscious partners foot and she attempted to belly crawl away from the attacker, who was now moving towards her. She heard the blade whistle as it cut through the air and steady itself to be brought back down.

Suddenly, Kenny's foot shot upwards. Christa could not see it, but she felt it whiz past her body and slam into the unknown man's stomach. They let out a cry as the food made contact, and a small heaving breath rang out in silence, before the figure dropped to the ground.

"Ben, open that door back up."

Light poured up the staircase and the hooded figures face lay uncovered on the wooden floor. It was a woman, her blonde hair matted down and clinging to the back of her hoodie. The blade was a surprisingly spotless climbing axe. Its thick metal blade was held by a blue and yellow handle that curved into a broken "c" shape.

Christa looked up and saw Kenny looking back.

"You okay?" He asked sternly, putting out his hand. She nodded silently and attempted to lift her hand. She hissed and grasped her arm. Dark red blood dripped from a sizably large cut down her arm. Kenny swore under his breath and headed down the stairs.

"Wait." Christa said, nudging her head towards the young woman they had just beat up.

"Oh she's not gettin' up anytime soon."

As he disappeared behind the railing, Christa looked down upon her cut and tried to shake the pain out. Small drops of blood scattered the floor.

Kenny returned and brought with him a long strip of cloth. Kneeling down, he held out the cloth and beckoned for Christa's arm. He placed the cloth tenderly around her cut and began to wrap until the cut only peeked out in miniscule areas.

"How are you feeling?" Christa asked genuinely. Kenny exhaled and gave a quickle glance upwards.

"Don't worry about me, im fine. Besides, i'm not the one with the bandages."

Christa shook off his stubbornness on account that Kenny was always like that. A sudden uncomfortable feeling arose in the air and they both turned to see Ben standing with the assailants blade in hand. There wasn't anything threatening about his stance, but the sight of that blade anywhere but the ground gave Christa a chill.

"Ben? Who's holding the door open?" Kenny asked standing up. Christa tied up the ends of the bandage and rose as well.

"I-I put a brick in front of it, so it wouldn't close. I just got worried and I didn't hear anything for a while so I thought I would come up and-"

"Ben," Christa comforted, passing Kenny and holding the boys shoulder. "Calm down. You aren't in trouble."

A low groan filled the air and the trio looked down to see the nameless woman stirring about. Christa warded Ben back with a wave of her hand and clutched her pistol tight.

"Morning asshole." Kenny said behind her, holding his gun at head height as well. "Get a good sleep."

The woman glared back at him and propped herself up slowly on her arms. Her eyes locked with Christa and the two exchanged uncomfortable looks. Kenny snatched the woman's pick from Ben's hands and kicked it down the hall.

"Who are you? Why the fuck were you watchin' us?"

The woman sneered and pulled back her hoodie. Blonde hair jutted out in random spots and a blue hair clip lay buried deep in her locks. Still, she remained silent and eyed Kenny with a gaze that could melt steel beams. After a long pause the woman spoke.

"The name's Jolie." She said lifelessly. Kenny squatted down in front of her and held the gun loosely in his hands.

"Well Jolie." He said with a tone that made Christa uncomfortable. "Were you the ones that took our guy?"

Jolie shot him a confused look and tried to stand. Kenny jumped up and pressed the barrel of the gun to her head, but allowed her to stand.

"I don't know who you're looking for and it's not me." She said dusting off her jeans.

"Then why were you watching us?" Christa asked crossing her arms.

"I wasn't. I was trying to hide from you three, in case yall were following me."

Christa signaled for Kenny to lower the gun, and after breathing an angry breath down Jolies neck, he lowered the gun and took a step back.

"Why did you attack us?" Christa asked putting her gun away.

"Gramps over here came at me with a gun. What did you expect me to do?" She said sarcastically, pointing at a sniveling Kenny. A comeback popped into the man's mind and he began to speak when the door sitting at the end of the hallway swung open revealing two scraggly men and -

"Lee!" Christa gasped. Kenny pulled his gun back out and pressed against Jolie's head.

"Woah, woah, woah! Put the gun down bro." The tallest male said, lowering his gun as well. Lee was on his knees with no visible bruises other than a bruise on his forehead. The taller of the two me, a thin character with dark skin and thick black hair to match, held a gun against Lee's neck. Lee met eyes with Christa and gave a sympathetic smile. He struggled to get up but the tall man held him down with impressive strength.

"You fucking liar!" Kenny spat at Jolie. He turned to the other two and pressed the gun harder against her head. Christa heard sound of clicking and slowly reached for her own gun hidden behind her back.

"Your friend Jolie hear told us y'all didn't have our friend. She needs to work on her lying skills."

"Fooled you." Jolie snickered. The gun pressed harder against her head and she quickly silenced.

"Jolie?" The shorter man asked. "Who's Jolie?"

"Oh, did you lie about your name too?" Kenny said, spit flying from his mouth. He momentarily locked eyes with Lee and the two exchanged confused glances.

"I'm not telling you my name."

"Give us our man." Christa piped up, taking the attention away from Kenny. "We can both go our separate ways."

"Fuck that. We need him." Jolie said, getting on one knee when the gun pressed against her head again.

"Why?"

"That's none of your business, buddy." The shorter man said. He scanned the room and found Ben staring wide-eyed at him. Squinting, he sneered at Ben and for a moment, almost saw a blush appear on the boys face.

"Man, lets fucking kill these fools." The taller man said, aiming at Kenny. Kenny returned that by pointing his gun at the man's head, but a great force slammed into his side and sent him down. A bullet sprang from his gun and hit the roof, sending shrapnel spiraling into the air.

"Kenny!" Lee yelled, his voice drowned out by the gunshot. The blow knocked Kenny out, and Christa fired into the dust scattered air. A sharp scream pierced the air as a bullet made its mark into the taller man's arm.

"Rus!" The other yelled, shooting into the air and burying a bullet in Christas arm. She let out a cry and dove to the left. It was a step too close to the stairs and she tumbled down, hitting every inch of her body on the stairs. The dust cleared from the air and the occupants stood puzzled at the seemingly vanishing woman.

"Where is she?" The one called Rus called out, clenching his wound and groaning. The other lifted Lee up onto his feet and inched towards Ben and the stairs, gun pushed against Lee's neck.

"Molly!" He called out to the woman standing over an unconscious Kenny. "Did you see her?"

Molly shook her head and turned to Ben. He caught her eyeing the ice pick and threw it to the ground.

"I-I don't want any trouble." He mumbled throwing up his hands in defense. The man holding Lee turned to the stairs and spotted Christas gun lying on the floor. He looked around but the woman was nowhere to be found.

"She gone!" He yelled looking back at Molly who had rounded the others up. "She probably ran out the front door!"

"Well we aren't sticking around to find her. We got what we need." Rus said standing and picking his gun up off of the floor.

The three rounded up Lee and Ben, and drug Kenny down the hall and into the stairwell. As the door closed, the six could hear the sound of a nearby group of walkers approaching the once noise filled building. The stairwell shut off from the main building and the halls were filled with nothing but distant groans and the occasional breath of fresh wind from the outside. As the undead grew closer, a shadow slipped from behind the stairs. She retrieved her gun and walked out the front door, moving the brick and sucking the sunlight out of the darkened halls.


End file.
